The invention describes a novel nickel-based composition. The invention also concerns the use of said composition as a catalytic composition in an olefin oligomerization process.

An improved process for acid-catalyzed acylation using water-tolerant Lewis acid catalysts is described. The method involves reacting a reduction products of 5-(hydroxylmethyl)-furfural (HMF), in particular either furan-2,5-dimethanol (FDM) or bis-2,5-(hydroxymethyl)-tetrahydrofuran (bHMTHFs), with an excess of an organic acid in the presence of a Lewis acid metal triflate at a temperature and time sufficient to produce esters. The conversions of the reduction products of HMF to corresponding diesters can be quantitative with certain favored Lewis acids catalysts.

This invention provides a method for preparing ethylene glycol by hydrolysing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether. The method comprises passing a fresh raw material containing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and water through a reaction zone loaded with a solid acid catalyst to react under the following conditions; separating the reacted mixture via a separation system to obtain a target product of ethylene glycol, by-products containing methanol, dimethyl ether and ethylene glycol-based derivatives, and an unreacted raw material containing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and water; passing the target product of ethylene glycol into a product collection system; and passing methyl alcohol and dimethyl ether in the by-products into a by-product collection system; and after being mixed with the fresh raw materials containing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and water, the ethylene glycol-based derivatives in the by-products and the unreacted raw material containing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and water being recycled into the reaction zone, to realize the preparation of ethylene glycol by hydrolysing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether. This invention provides a new process to realize the preparation of ethylene glycol by hydrolysing ethylene glycol monomethyl ether. And in the method, the catalyst has long life and good stability.

Disclosed is a simplified process for formation of polyisobutylene functionalized with at least one terminal primary or secondary alcohol. The process comprises subjecting an olefin functional polyisobutylene, butyl rubber, or mixtures thereof to ozonation and reduction thereby forming mono-alcohol and diol functional polyisobutylene. The formed functional polyisobutylenes can serve as precursors for many other functionalized polyisobutylenes including urethane polyisobutylenes, urethane polyisobutylenes capped with (meth)acrylate functions, and (meth)acrylate capped polyisobutylenes.

A novel catalyst, a use thereof and a method for treating PCB inked waste by using the same are disclosed. The catalyst of the present disclosure is represented by the following formula (I):

[M(O).sub.a].sup.m+X.sup.n(I)

herein M, X, a, m and n are defined in the specification.

There is provided herein a composition which contains hydride-functionalized siloxane or silane, a hydroxyl-containing compound that does not contain silicon, and a catalytically-effective amount of super acid or super base catalyst selected from the group consisting of a triaza-containing compound which contains only carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, an atrane compound, a linear or branched compound containing a sulfonyl group and a fluoro group, and combinations thereof. There is also provided a process of making such a composition.

The invention concerns a method for preparing an oxysulphide and fluorinated derivative, said method comprising the reacting, in the presence of an organic solvent, of: i) at least one compound of formula Ea-COOR (I), in which Ea represents the fluorine atom or a group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms chosen from fluoroalkyls, perfluoroalkyls and fluoroalkenyls and R represents hydrogen, a monovalent cation or an alkyl group, and ii) a sulphur oxide, said method being such that the initial molar ratio (sulphur oxide/compound of formula (I)) is less than 0.4 and the concentration of sulphur oxide dissolved in the reaction medium is kept constant for the entire duration of the reaction to a value of between 0.2% and 3% by weight by means of continually adding said sulphur oxide to the reaction medium.

A process for preparing cyclic dehydration products from sugar alcohols is described. The process involve using a mixed-acid catalyst reaction mixture containing a reducing acid, having a pKa of about 1.0-1.5, and at least a strong Brnsted acid or a Lewis acid, having a pKa0, or both acids in a solution to dehydrate and ring close said sugar alcohol. Synergistically, the mixed-acid catalysis can produce greater amounts of the desired product at similar levels of compositional accountability than either of the component acid catalysts acting alone.

A method of isolating and purifying 1,2,5,6 hexanetetrol (HTO) from a reaction mixture containing HTO and other byproducts of a hydrogenation reaction of a sugar alcohol and/or a mono- or di-dehydrative product of a sugar alcohol is described. The method involves contacting the mixture comprising HTO and other C1-C6 alcohols and polyols with a resin material adapted for chromatography under conditions where HTO preferentially associates with the resin relative to other components in the mixture, and eluting HTO from said resin with a solvent.

A method of isolating and purifying 1,2,5,6 hexanetetrol (HTO) from a reaction mixture containing HTO and other byproducts of a hydrogenation reaction of a sugar alcohol and/or a mono- or di-dehydrative product of a sugar alcohol is described. The method involves contacting the mixture comprising HTO and other C1-C6 alcohols and polyols with a resin material adapted for chromatography under conditions where HTO preferentially associates with the resin relative to other components in the mixture, and eluting HTO from said resin with a solvent.